PLAYER GUIDE

Overview

You play an edgerunner: a cybernetically enhanced mercenary who takes high-risk, frequently illegal jobs in Night City, a megacity controlled by corporations. You operate as part of a crew. The tone is gritty, high-tech, and dangerous.

The setting is built on three stated design principles. They're worth knowing because the GM uses them to interpret the rules and reward play:

Key Differences from D&D

If you've played D&D, most of your instincts carry over. These are the differences that matter most:

The Core Mechanic

• Natural 10: roll the d10 again and add it (only once; a second 10 does not continue).
• Natural 1: roll the d10 again and subtract it (only once).
• No skill in it: roll STAT + 1d10. You can attempt nearly anything untrained.
• Luck Points: before rolling, you may spend points from your Luck Pool (equal to your LUCK stat) for +1 each. The pool refreshes every session. Spend it on rolls that matter.

Your Turn in Combat

On your turn you take one Move and one Action. You move up to MOVE × 2 meters (or MOVE in squares), and you may split the movement around your action (move, act, move).

On a hit, roll the weapon's damage dice, the target subtracts their armor SP, and the remainder is applied to their HP. Common terms:

Damage & Death

As HP decreases, a character passes through Wound States:

Healing is slow: characters recover HP through rest or a Medtech's treatment. There are no instant heals. The GM will indicate when there is time to recover.

Common Slang

Terms you'll encounter in the books and in play:

Character Creation: The 10 Roles

Your Role is the equivalent of a class and grants a unique Role Ability. Choose the one that matches how you want to play. For the smoothest game, avoid duplicating Roles so that each player has a distinct area of expertise.

The Companion App

The official Cyberpunk RED Companion App builds and stores characters, performs the calculations, rolls dice, and tracks gear during play. It is the most convenient way to create a first character.

Creation, Step by Step

Button labels vary slightly between app versions, so these steps describe the decisions you'll make rather than exact taps. The app tracks all numbers and prevents illegal choices.

1. Create a new character and choose a method

   In the app, create a new character and select Edgerunner (recommended) or a Pregen template for the fastest start. The app then guides you through the remaining steps.

2. Choose your Role

   Select one of the ten Roles. This is the most significant choice: it determines your special ability and indicates which stats to prioritize. The app sets your Role Ability to Rank 4 automatically. See the stat-priority table below.

3. Complete your Lifepath

   The Lifepath is a set of tables covering your origin, personality, style, values, relationships, and a defining event. You can roll randomly or choose results. Complete both the general Lifepath and the Role-specific one.
   Do this with the groupGenerating Lifepaths together helps you identify existing connections between characters, which makes the crew feel coherent from the start.

4. Assign your STATS

   Distribute your ten stats (range 2 to 8 at creation; 4 to 5 is average for an ordinary person). The app displays your remaining points. Prioritize the stats your Role uses (table below), keep BODY high enough to survive damage, and avoid a low REF, since it governs both initiative and ranged attacks. What each stat does:

   Stat	Function	Stat	Function
   INT	Awareness and most knowledge skills	WILL	Determination; resisting fear and hacks; HP
   REF	Ranged attacks and initiative	LUCK	Size of your Luck Point pool
   DEX	Melee, brawling, evasion, athletics	MOVE	Distance moved per turn
   TECH	Repair, tech use, first aid	BODY	Damage, HP, melee power, and Death Save
   COOL	Composure, intimidation, persuasion, Facedowns	EMP	Empathy and reading people; sets Humanity

5. Review your derived stats

   The app calculates these automatically. What they mean:

   Stat	Meaning
   HP	Health, derived from BODY and WILL. At 0 HP you are Mortally Wounded.
   Seriously Wounded	Half your HP, the threshold for the -2 penalty.
   Death Save	Equal to BODY. At 0 HP you roll under this each turn to survive.
   Humanity	EMP × 10. Cyberware reduces it; very low Humanity risks cyberpsychosis.
   Luck Pool	Equal to LUCK. Spend for +1 bonuses; refreshes each session.

6. Assign your Skills

   The app provides the basic "everyman" skills and flags required ones. Ensure you have at least a couple of levels in the core survival skills (Athletics, Brawling, Concentration, Conversation, Evasion, Perception, and Education), then invest your higher values in your Role's key skills:
   • Solo: Handgun / Shoulder Arms / Autofire, Evasion, Athletics
   • Netrunner: Interface (primary), Electronics/Security Tech, Perception
   • Medtech: First Aid, Paramedic, later Surgery; Conversation
   • Tech: Electronics/Security Tech, Cybertech, Basic Tech
   • Fixer: Persuasion, Trading, Streetwise, Conversation
   • Nomad: Drive Land Vehicle, Handgun, Athletics

7. Buy gear, weapons, and armor

   Your method provides a gear package plus starting money (the Edgerunner/Template path gives a kit plus roughly €$500; Complete Package gives roughly €$2,550). Priorities for a first character:
   • A weapon matching a skill you invested in. A Handgun is a reliable default; a Shotgun or Assault Rifle deals more damage at close range.
   • The best body armor (SP) you can afford. This is the main factor in surviving fights.
   • A few useful items (medkit, agent/phone, spare ammunition, possibly a grenade). Spend your full allotment; unspent starting money is typically lost.

8. Install cyberware

   Cyberware improves capabilities, but each implant reduces Humanity. For a first character, keep it limited:
   • Take the free Neuroport (see above). It functions as your phone and HUD and enables other cyberware.
   • Add one or two implants suited to your Role (for example, Cybereyes for a marksman or a Cyberarm for a melee fighter). Avoid reducing Humanity to zero.
   • If unsure, ask your GM which options suit the campaign's tone.

9. Set name, look, and review

   Choose a Handle (street name) and an appearance (your Lifepath suggests a style). Review the finished sheet; the app shows each skill's BASE, which is the number you add to your d10 in play. Then save the character and export or share it with your GM.

Stat Priorities by Role

General guidance: keep BODY at 5 or higher if possible (it sets both HP and your Death Save), and avoid a low REF, which drives initiative and ranged attacks for every Role.

Condensed Steps

First-Session Tips

Quick Reference

Print this section (Ctrl/Cmd-P) for a table-side reference card.

App Links & Sources

Get the official Cyberpunk RED Companion App (search "Cyberpunk Red Companion" in your app store):

• cyberpunkred.com, the app's official site
• Apple App Store listing (iPhone/iPad/Mac)
• Google Play: search "Cyberpunk Red Companion" (same app, Android)

Character-creation details were cross-checked against the official Cyberpunk RED creation rules. The Companion App is published by R. Talsorian Games; this guide is an unofficial fan reference for home use. Rules are summarized from the official Cyberpunk RED rules (R. Talsorian Games).

// PLAYER_GUIDE · NIGHT_CITY · unofficial fan reference //